


Enhancements

by Smileymask



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Character Study, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:15:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25674928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smileymask/pseuds/Smileymask
Summary: The question everyone wants to ask, but can't, when they find out Franky and Robin are together - did Franky make enhancements down there?When an unexpected heat strikes Robin, she asks Franky for help. But Franky is a beta.Set after the timeskip.
Relationships: Franky/Nico Robin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Enhancements

**Author's Note:**

> Assumes a kind of watered-down version of the whole Omegaverse trope. Basically: heats are painful to endure alone, resolves immediately upon mating with an alpha but lasts several hours without an alpha's intervention. Omega pheromones can be detected only by an alpha and vice versa. The social hierarchy aspect doesn’t exist, maybe some stereotypes but there’s no subjugation or outright discrimination.

Franky felt the soft press of a hand on his back, nudging him back from his blueprints.

It was Robin; she came to the workshop to check in on him from time to time. Franky couldn't help his mouth turning up into a grin.

“What’s up, Robin?” Franky asked jovially, and looked across the workshop to flash his grin at Robin. 

Robin's expression looked troubled though, and her posture was hunched in a manner totally unlike her.

Franky’s face fell. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes, Franky," said Robin, almost hesitantly. "I was hoping to ask you for help on a private matter.”

“Anything,” said Franky.

“I’m going into heat,” said Robin. “I think I had a breakthrough heat because I’ve been taking the suppressants for too long. I’d like for you to help me through it, Franky.”

This was incredible, like something straight out of his fantasies, but the reality of it gave Franky pause. 

“You know I’m a beta, right?” Franky asked carefully.

“I’m aware. I know it’s a difficult thing to ask of you.”

“I’m beyond flattered that you’re asking me, Robin. But don't you want an alpha for this?”

The topic had come up briefly in conversation one day among the crew, but fizzled out soon, as it was understood to be a personal subject. The Straw Hat Pirates, as tight-knit as they were, weren’t much for trading personal details about themselves. 

Franky’s eyes had inexorably been drawn to Robin, reading a book as if she did not hear the topic of conversation. Maybe she’d been keeping an ear open on the conversation despite that; maybe she’d been curious to know what Franky was as well.

Zoro and Luffy had offhandedly volunteered the information that they were alphas; Usopp and Franky betas; the rest of them offered no comments, Brook claiming that he had no distinction as he was a skeleton, yo ho ho ho!

It was disturbing, albeit in different ways, to think of either Luffy or the swordsman taking care of Robin's heat. The latter in particular caused an ugly sort of jealousy to coil in Franky's gut.

He continued on all the same. “Look, if it's because of their age or if it's because I'm the only one with the private bed, you don't have to choose me just because of that. You can use the workshop with anyone you want.”

Robin looked unsure, for the first time. 

“I'm sorry for springing this on you, Franky. Do you not want this?”

He realized he'd said the wrong thing. He clasped Robin's shoulders in his huge hands earnestly.

“Don't think for a second I don't want this, Nico Robin,” Franky growled, and kissed her on the forehead.

If Nico Robin had chosen him, Franky would respect her decision.

“Let me go get ready, wait here.”

Robin nodded. 

“Anything you need?”

“Condoms,” she said, “and towels, please.”

* * *

Nico Robin was a remarkable woman, and not just because of her elegance.

While Franky would say that he knew the laws of physics and mechanics better than anyone else, it was equally true that Robin knew the laws of human interaction, on the small and large scale, better than anyone else.

Her formidable intellect did have its blind spot and that was herself. The tragedy of her past and her stolen childhood pulled at Franky’s heartstrings and made him want to break out his guitar in a ballad of her woes.

But Franky knew she was beginning to explore that aspect of her life now, in the security of her nakama.  
  
  


Franky was in love with Robin, no doubt about it.

Sometimes he felt certain that he was special to Robin as well.

She would tease him, and she rarely teased. She had been rough with him, and she was rarely rough with anyone else. She had let him give her insight, and she usually was the one who dispensed insight. She had looked under his skin at the cybernetic eye beneath and had not flinched away.

They had moments of connection that passed as subtly as dreams upon waking. Franky would be drawn to her when she watered the flower garden, and she always had a light in her eye as she nodded at him. Robin would come to the workshop as he worked and keep him company with idle conversation.

Robin had come to the Crow’s Nest with a mug of tea and a bottle of cola while Franky was on night watch. They’d talked about the One Piece:

"Luffy is unlike anyone else seen in history before," Robin had said. "He’s remarkable. Not even Roger himself made such bold attacks against the World Government and succeeded. I feel almost certain that Luffy will be the one to fulfill Joy Boy's promise; maybe Rayleigh had his reasons for making us train for two years, no more and no less.

"I want to see what the One Piece is. I think we’re closer than anyone else in finding out, traveling with Luffy."

That was what they both needed to focus on at the moment - Luffy and the One Piece.

That awful day in Sabaody, when the Straw Hats had been separated by Bartholomew Kuma, had filled Franky with a sense of helplessness and desperation that he hadn’t felt since the day he couldn’t stop the train from taking away Tom-san.

Even before Franky met Kuma-san again in front of the Thousand Sunny, totally devoid of his soul and pitifully broken, he'd understood the message for what it was when he landed in Vegapunk’s lab.

Kuma-san had been telling him: Franky needed to learn all of Vegapunk’s technology and get stronger for the sake of his nakama. And aesthetics needed to take a back seat to function. He personally loved his design, he thought it was super - the culmination and synthesis of all Vegapunk’s ingenuity and some of Franky's own tweaks, packaged neatly into his body. But he was aware that his design wasn’t to everyone’s taste, and he didn’t know if Robin would find it pleasing. 

But for now, Luffy’s dream came first. For now, Franky was content with the undercurrent of trust he and Robin had between them, even if it came to nothing in the end.

* * *

Franky stumbled out of the workshop door. He didn't have any experience dealing with heats, but he used his imagination. He went all over the Sunny in a rush trying to locate various items; it was a miracle he didn’t run into any of the crew. A stack of towels -- a jug of water -- a basket of pastries he lifted wholesale from the galley, freshly baked and still warm -- he went into Chopper's infirmary and rummaged around for medical-grade lube. He cursed himself for not having bought condoms, genuinely not ever having expected to need them at all.

Feeling desperate, he went to the men's bedroom and rummaged around Sanji's drawer but found nothing but cigarette packs and handkerchiefs.

He found luck in, of all places, Zoro's drawer. It just did not compute, but Franky shook his head and just snatched a generous handful out of the drawer.

He dumped it all into his workshop, half-believing Robin would have disappeared, but there she still lay, looking decidedly feverish now.

“Took me a while to find the condoms, sorry.”

They disrobed with some hurry - wow, Robin looked just, wow - and Franky joined her on the workshop bed.

They fumbled a bit trying to find a good position. Franky didn't think he couldn’t go on top, as he was afraid he might crush her.

Robin finally decided to straddle him, and she caught Franky's lips on her own with a hunger that he would never have expected from her. He couldn't get enough of it; the kiss felt like it quenched some parched thirst inside of him.

Robin sank herself onto him, and Franky clenched his eyes shut at the sensation, mouth falling open in a silent groan.

Her body felt feverish in his arms and around him, like she was burning up. She was very wet and Franky realized they wouldn’t need the lube, after all.

This wasn’t quite like what he’d imagined what it would be like to be with Robin - and Franky admitted that yes, he had fantasized about it - as he’d always imagined something more along the lines of sensual and slow.

This was heated and raw and primal. Wonderful in its own way, but even in the delirious pleasure Franky couldn't help being worried that Robin might get dehydrated or badly ill.

In the refractory periods she nipped at Franky's skin, leaving hickeys, while Franky downed cola and tried to catch his breath.

* * *

There was a lull in the heat. Robin sat up, and tried a sip of water and a bite of the pastry, but it didn’t seem to agree with her.

“You want me to get you something else from the galley? I'm kinda worried you might get dehydrated or something.”

“Juice always helps,” said Robin, with a note of apology.

“You got it,” said Franky. “I need some dinner too, come to think of it.”

Franky looked down at the hickeys on his neck and chest, and cringed. He buttoned up his aloha shirt and threw a towel around his neck.

* * *

Everyone was in the middle of dinner when Franky arrived at the galley.

"Hey," Franky said awkwardly to the crew - excepting Luffy and Brook, who did not look up from their plates at all - who snapped up to stare at him.

"Whoa, why d'you have your shirt closed?" Usopp asked. Franky winced.

Sanji trained a suspicious eye on Franky. "Didn't you hear the dinner bell? And where's Robin-chwan?"

"She's, uh, feeling sick, she said she wanted some juice--"

"I can whip up something for her, where is she?" Sanji said, and immediately set to work coring and blending some apples.

"Uh-- I think it'd be better if I take it down to her--"

"No way, that's my privilege as the cook. By the way, it had better not be you who took the pastries, I made them just for Nami-swan and Robin-chwan."

They had been given to Robin, thought Franky with some irony.

"Where is Robin, anyway?" Chopper asked. "If she's sick, why didn't she come see me?"

Sanji finished blending the juice. He plopped down Franky's plate in his usual spot on the table. "Now, eat your dinner and tell me where Robin is."

"I'm going to go look for her," said Chopper, and sprang up from his seat.

Franky hurriedly made his way to the door and all but blockaded Chopper and Sanji who had rushed to the door to hunt Robin down.

Nami was watching them uncomfortably, eyes darting between the three of them.

"She's in heat, isn't she?" Zoro said, looking irritated by the commotion. The galley fell dead silent. "I can smell her on you."

"So Franky's taking care of her then!" Laughed Luffy.

Sanji's jaw dropped in abject horror, while the others looked vaguely queasy. 

Franky took the opportunity to grab the jug of juice out of Sanji's shell-shocked hands, and his own plate from the table.

Chopper placed a hoof on Franky's elbow. "You know condoms are a must, right?" He said earnestly. "Human sexual intercourse comes with a lot of risks and condoms are the best way to prevent that. The risk of pregnancy in particular rises up to three times during heats."

Franky would do a facepalm, but both his hands were occupied by food and juice at the moment. He grinned instead.

"Of course, Tanuki-bro, we'll super keep that in mind."

Chopper beamed at him in his reassuring doctor way, and Franky gave him a mock salute with the jug of juice.

"Ah, young love," said Brook sagely as Franky made his ignoble retreat from the galley.

* * *

The whole exchange had totally ruined Franky's libido.

Franky finished his dinner without much enthusiasm and watched Robin take small sips of the apple juice. He put his face in his hands and moaned in embarrassment.

"What's wrong, Franky?"

"The other guys found out, I’m so sorry."

Surprisingly, Robin chuckled, an elegant fu fu fu.

"I'm not bothered at all," said Robin. "I’m not embarrassed, if you aren’t."

Franky raised his face up from his hands. "Really?"

"Well," Robin said, "I had hoped to make this a permanent arrangement. That would include going public, of course."

Franky's heart soared, more giddy than any of the times he'd finished a Battle Franky.

"I thought you’d never ask!" Franky exclaimed. "I am totally into it, I’m all yours, Nico Robin."

They fell into bed again, as a mated pair this time.

* * *

Robin's fever had broken. She woke drenched in sweat but no longer burning hot, and she took a bite of the now stale pastry.

It had been intense, to say the least. Franky needed to replenish his cola stock now and he was exhausted, but it was all worth it. Very much so. 

Franky gazed sappily at Robin from the bed. A hand materialized to stroke his cheek, and Franky caught it in his hand to kiss her knuckles.

Robin came back to the bed and snuggled up on his side. They’d found a way to fit themselves together after some experimentation.

"Franky?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Nami offered to sleep in the infirmary tonight, so I could have the women's room to myself."

"Aw, that was sweet of her. I'm sorry I brought up the bed thing."

"I know you just wanted to make sure."

They lay there in contented silence before an idea came to Franky.

"Say, Robin," Franky said. "You want me to make some alterations on my arms and stuff? To make it easier in bed and all."

"No, Franky," Robin said. "It was perfect. You’re perfect just as you are."

"It’s not a big deal to change some stuff around, you know," Franky said. "I know you aren’t big into the new design."

"Why would you think that, Franky?" Robin said. "I find you beautiful right now.

"Because you take pride in the things you created and you don't let the world dissuade you from what excites you.

"Because your heart is so fundamentally good that what makes you the proudest is to be helpful to other people.

"And that is the most beautiful thing of all to me," Robin concluded.

Franky felt a lump in his throat and his lips trembled.

"Dammit, Robin, that's the most super beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me," sobbed Franky.

Robin made a soft sound in her throat and pulled him close, stroking his hair as he bawled into her shoulder.

She was right, of course; it wasn't just about what Franky himself thought was cool - though he wasn't shy about rocking his speedos and anything else that caught his fancy - but it was also about the people he loved as well. 

It was about what his nakama needed of him, and now that Robin was his mate - what a strange and wonderful word that was - it included her needs and terms as well.

"Well, I still kinda want to see if I can make myself perform like an alpha. Maybe make an artificial knot or something. Hope you're okay with me trying that."

Robin laughed, a rich beautiful sound.

"I'm looking forward to trying it out with you, Franky," she said fondly.

* * *

Franky was now trying to work on some upgrades to his, uh, equipment in his spare time.

Nothing excited the engineer in him more than a problem to solve. On the theoretical side he was curious what parameters were required to make a heat resolve - was it the pheromones, knot, or the mating bite? And on the design side, how would he implement it into something streamlined and workable in a practical setting?

The cat was out of the bag so he was enlisting Chopper's help in procuring synthetic alpha pheromones as well.

Franky was a firm believer in the power of engineering. One could achieve anything, become whatever they wanted, if only they had the right ingenuity and motivation.

Franky could build the best ship for the Straw Hat Pirates; he could be the best Battle Franky to obliterate their enemies; and he could be the best mate for Nico Robin.

**Author's Note:**

> Frobin is the ship I started out with and I will always have a soft spot for them. Franky is such an upstanding guy with a lot of facets to his personality, and I hope I did him justice. Robin is an extremely difficult character to portray and I doubt I'll ever be able to write from her POV.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
